Master Blender Tender

Yes, this was actually my title at my first job! I worked at a local smoothie shop in town for several years when I was in high school. This is my go to recipe for when I want something light or I am not in the mood to cook. 

Very Berry Green Smoothie

Serving 1

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana

1 cup fresh spinach

2 cups frozen mixed berries (I use a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries)

1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

Water as needed to reach desired consistency (I typically use ½ cup)

Directions:

Place banana, spinach, frozen berries, and water in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add chai seeds and pulse a few times to mix. Serve immediately and enjoy!

 

Making a Change to be Healthier Part 2: Road to Plant Based

I went several years just dairy free and never felt better.

Until I woke up one night with what felt like something squeezing my intestines and pain that radiated to my back. Over the next few weeks I had two other similar experiences. After the third instance I setup an appointment with my doctor. After my blood work came back normal I had an abdominal ultra sound. The ultra sound showed possible gallstones so I had gallbladder scan performed. Luckily the gallbladder scan showed my gallbladder was working fine.

Shortly after my attacks I did some research on the causes of gallbladder attacks and was able to link several foods to my symptoms. After learning this information I was determined to keep my gallbladder working properly so adjusted my diet to include less corn, onions, oranges, fatty meats and fried foods.

My husband and I made the decision to go plant based in April of 2013 after watching the documentaries Forks over Knives and Food Inc. We made this decision because we wanted to be healthier and help the environment. Here are a few of the main reasons we made the switch

  

      - Health – research has shown a plant based diet lowers your risk of cancer, heart disease and type II diabetes.           Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn has also been successful in reversing heart disease in his patients.

      - Better for the environment – a 2011 report from the Environmental Working Group shows that meat produces             the most greenhouse gas compared to common proteins and vegetables

      - Feel better – since switching to a plant based diet we both have more energy and feel better

  

Here are a few tips I used when I started out on a plant based diet.

           - Stock your pantry and fridge with items to make quick meal

           - Try new foods

           - Focus on what you could eat rather than what you can’t

           - Don’t be afraid to ask questions when dining out

If you are interested in finding more about going meat free here are some good TED talks

     - Weekday Vegetarian

     - What’s Wrong with What We Eat

Please note I am not a registered dietitian or doctor. The information shared in this post and on this blog is from my own experiences and personal knowledge.

Making a Change to be Healthier Part 1: Go Dairy Free

I have always been health conscious but I have not always made healthy choices. Growing up I ate pretty healthy – always had breakfast (oatmeal or non-sugary cereal), had wheat instead of white bread, healthier snacks (fruit, veggies, yogurt or cheese), and my parents didn’t buy many processed foods or soda.

I grew up loving dairy! I typically would have milk in my cereal for breakfast, a sandwich with cheese as part of my lunch, yogurt for a snack, a glass of milk with dinner, and an occasional scoop or two of ice cream for dessert.  

It wasn’t until my junior year in college that I began experiencing mild to severe digestive issues – ie stomach cramps, pain, bloating, etc. I decided to start a food journal and make notes of when I experienced symptoms. After a few weeks it became clear that I was having a reaction to dairy. Family history and a visit with my family doctor confirmed I was allergic to milk.  

Milk does the body good, right?

Some studies actually suggest that milk not only doesn’t strengthen your bones but actually weakens them. There is still controversy over whether milk is beneficial or harmful to bones. However, the countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

But where do you get calcium?

Below is the nutrition label for 1% milk

Here is the nutritional label from the unsweetened almond milk I drink regularly today

The almond milk actually has more calcium, less sugar, less carbs and fewer calories!

Here are just a few other dairy free ways to get calcium -

    - dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, turnips, and collard greens

    - soybeans

    - tofu, set with calcium

    - figs

    - sesame seeds

    - quinoa

-         

Here is the first cookbook I turned to help make the transition

Please note I am not a registered dietitian or doctor. The information shared in this post and on this blog is from my own experiences and personal knowledge.

Upping the Curb Appeal

Our porch is finally ready for guests, swinging and lounging. You may have noticed a few things we upgraded before we finished our landscaping. We painted our porch, upgraded our storm door and…

added a porch swing. The porch swing was actually a birthday present for my husband last year. I got it from Hayneedle. Unfortunately when I looked recently they didn’t have the same one available.

The patio furniture is from Craigslist. I purchased an entire set including the two chairs for $200. I just spray painted the chairs black to match the porch swing. I plan on listing the loveseat and ottoman on craigslist since we don’t have any use for it.

I also bought new cushions for the patio chairs. I had been looking since March for cushions and had a hard time finding ones that were the correct size and not expensive. Luckily I checked the Lowe’s website a few weeks ago and found these.

We also made a few other small changes like spray painting the lighting fixtures,

adding visible address numbers, and adding some pretty flowers.

I think our house is finally starting to look like a home on the outside! I still want to add some black shutters but I will save that for the fall or next spring.

Bye Bye Cable

We are without cable! Sounds crazy doesn't it? I honestly thought the same thing when my husband first suggested it. How am I supposed to watch all MY shows?

We actually cut the cable cord a year and half ago and the truth is neither of us actually miss it. So how did we do it?

When we first made the decision to drop cable we started out with Netflix ($7.99 per month) and Hulu ($7.99 per month). Now we typically only subscribe to Hulu 7-8 months out of the year when the few shows we watch are on and have only used Netflix for one month this year to watch the new season of House of Cards. It’s really easy to drop and pickup subscriptions to Hulu and Netflix as you want. We also use our local library to rent movies and TV series for free.

The equipment - We use my husband’s PlayStation on one of our TVs and a Roku 2 on the other to stream channels like Netflix and Hulu. We use a basic antenna to view over-the-air shows (most top shows are available over-the-air). We have considered upgrading our current bunny ears antenna to a Leaf antenna but according to their website we wouldn’t gain any additional channels. We will probably upgrade it soon to the Leaf Metro just so we get rid of the unsightly bunny ears we have now.

But what about sports? Truth is we do miss out on a lot of sporting events and it is something to consider before cutting the cable cord. We are able to watch the big events like the Super Bowl, World Series, local NFL games, NBA finals and golf tournaments. On occasion we are able to stream other sporting events from network’s websites via our laptop and use an HDMI cable to connect it to our TV.

Also, don’t be afraid to call up your cable or internet provider when your promotional pricing goes away. When my husband called our internet provider after our 12 month promotional price expired they gladly brought our bill back down to the promotional price. If they aren’t willing to lower the price then switch!

Here is breakdown of the savings.

Prior cable and internet bill - $1,440 spent per year

Hulu - $63.92 (8 months)

Netflix - $15.98 (2 months)

Internet - $497.16 per year

Total current - $577.06

Initial cost of the Roku was $79.99 (Amazon now has the Roku 2 for $59.99) – This ended up being a wash for us since we got a $100 gift card for 12 months of internet service. 

Savings of $862.94 a year!

We now have more time and money to do what we enjoy -  spending time with family and friends, reading, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors.